


Thawed

by Vulcanmi



Series: Thawing Universe [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Sequel, Sooo alternate at this point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 13:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14717100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vulcanmi/pseuds/Vulcanmi
Summary: Steve finally figures it out.





	Thawed

**Author's Note:**

> Sick and couldn't sleep one night, and I randomly got inspiration to continue this~

Steve is intelligent. 

Even before he had the serum, allowing neurons to fire faster, improving him in every way possible, he’d had his wits about him. Yet, when Natasha looks at him with that dead-eyed stare that might as well be where she got her code name, and informs him “you’re an idiot,” he can’t help but agree with her.

Steve drops his head in his hands, sinking down into her sofa and letting out a sigh.

“Steve. Don’t tell me you’re just now coming to this conclusion.”

Steve lets out a sound somewhere between a choke and a hiccup.

If he’s being honest, yes. He is just now coming to the conclusion that he has feelings for Loki. The god of lies and mischief. Odin’s adopted son. Thor’s brother. A frost giant. Reformed villain turned "honorary avenger."

That morning, he’d woken up with Loki in his bed, still asleep, ink black hair in disarray, the corner of his mouth sporting just a touch of dried drool, and Steve had felt _something_ click in his chest and he’d _known._

He wasn’t completely blind. He didn’t share his bed with his other friends. Of course, Loki would never sleep on the couch—and he’d lived with that reasoning for a time, until the cuddling began.

It's always in the middle of the night, probably not intentional, easy to overlook when half asleep and cradling such warmth.

Then there are the nicknames. Or rather, his reaction to them. "Darling." "Oh captain my captain." "Steven." That isn't technically a nickname, but Loki only says it on the rare occurrences that Steve manages to catch him off guard, in a half-scandalized tone, green eyes flashing with mirth, and it makes warmth curl in his stomach each time.

And he can't forget the way he stares.He hadn’t even noticed until Loki had pointed it out to him, completely nonchalant one afternoon, popping in after an apparent trip to some planet that Steve couldn’t pronounce. 

“Do let me shower before you start with that.”

Steve had laughed, bewildered, not quite understanding. He’d thought—well, he drew Loki a lot. It makes sense he’d observe him to catch details he might miss otherwise. He does that with his other friends sometimes, too.

It isn't the same though.

So he likes Loki. He has no idea what to do with this revelation. Continue on with business as usual? Does he...tell him? “Do I tell him?” He asks, helpless, looking up at Natasha with pleading eyes.

Natasha snorts. “I’m fairly certain he already knows.”

Steve’s eyes widen in horror. “Oh, no. Is it that obvious?”

Natasha raises an eyebrow, walking over to sit next to Steve on the couch. “Steve. The both of you act like you’re in a committed relationship.” 

“We do not.” 

“He lives at your apartment,” Natasha begins to list, holding up her fingers.

“He lives—he comes and goes,” Steve tries.

“You two sleep together—“

“I only have one bed!”

“He calls you _darling_ —“

“Tony gives people nicknames too...”

“He only shows up to fight when you’re in trouble—“

“He just wants to help!“

Natasha tilts her head, her expression decidedly unimpressed. “My point is, he’s not exactly a stranger. Just ask him out.”

Ask Loki out. Like it’s that easy. Loki was—he wasn’t even human, he couldn’t just ask the guy out for coffee like...well. Thor had done so with Jane, apparently. Not that it had lasted. What if it didn’t last? Maybe he should talk to Thor. Recalling the way the Asgardian had leveled Iron Man in a bout of friendly fire after some choice comments about his brother though, maybe not.  

Steve sighs, standing. “I should be getting back...” 

“To your roommate?”

He gives Natasha a look that says "cut it out," and she returns it with one that’s far too innocent.

Steve mulls Natasha’s words over in his head as he rides home.

How unlikely is it that Loki returns his regard? They have become very close, over the past... has it been a year already? Nearly that. Almost intimate, he’d say. There are few days that pass where he doesn’t see Loki, if he isn’t off on some mission. And even then, sometimes Loki will pop by, infuriating S.H.I.E.L.D and making Fury curse until he turns blue in the face.

That only encourages the mischief-maker though. He doesn’t know when they’ll learn.

And the nicknames. Pet names, really. Loki doesn’t call any of the other Avengers "darling," though he does have a few choice monikers for them. Most aren’t very flattering. And Steve doesn’t think he’s sharing anyone else’s bed.

Are he and Loki...together? They’ve never actually spoken about the...whatever it is between them, so it hasn’t crossed Steve’s mind. He doesn’t exactly have experience in these matters, either. But now that Natasha’s put the thought into his head... 

“Steve?”

Steve blinks, realizing he’s been lost in thought. He’s standing in his apartment already, and there Loki is, in his kitchen, wearing that stupid apron Loki had bought as a joke, the one with the Captain America uniform on it. Steve swallows, feels his heart jump in his chest, and wonders how he could have been so completely blind.

Loki raises an eyebrow. “Are you quite all right?”

Steve is not afraid of much. Admittedly walk in freezers do give him a bit of pause, but it’s not like there are many of those waiting to jump out of the closet. Right now Steve is terrified. Not because Loki has power he couldn’t possibly hope to match or even comprehend, but because the other could crush him with a few words.

Abruptly, Loki sets down the spatula he‘s holding and marches over, resting the back of his hand against Steve’s cheek.

“What are you doing?” Steve is horrified by the way his voice squeaks.

“This is how Midgardians check for fever, yes?”

Steve lifts a hand to Loki’s wrist and tugs it gently away from his face, clearing his throat. “I don’t have a fever.” 

“You’re quite red.”

And growing redder with every word that comes out of Loki’s mouth. Steve clears his throat again, trying to find words. Maybe he should just let the whole thing go. What they had was good, there was no need to go slapping labels on it. He can’t quite stop the word vomit before it pours out of his mouth though. “I was—I was thinking about going on a, uh, date. Is that—is that—would you...?”

Loki’s bewildered expression soon hardens into something cold and indifferent, and Steve snaps his mouth shut. “Would I what? Mind? Why should I?”

It is Steve’s turn to be bewildered. “I...”

“What you do in your free time is of no consequence to me, Captain.” 

Captain. He’s done something wrong. Steve flounders, tightening his grip on Loki’s wrist when the other tugs away. Loki could easily break free of the hold if he wanted to. “Wh—wait. I...I mean it’s your free time too, right? I...hold on, I’m not sure we’re...I’m trying to ask you on a date,” he finally manages to choke out, and Loki’s expression immediately goes from cold to blank.

Steve wets his lips and hopes he hasn’t just made a grave mistake.

“Oh.”

Oh. That doesn’t sound like a good sign. Steve immediately lets the other go, backpedaling so quickly he’s amazed he doesn’t literally trip over his words. “I mean—never mind, I shouldn’t—that was forward of me, I—just forget I—“

Loki presses a finger to his lips, effectively shutting him up.

“Now now Captain, let’s not jump to conclusions. Honestly.” 

Steve blinks.

“Let me get ready. The food can wait.” Loki mumbles something afterwards that sounds a little bit like "I certainly have," but Steve can’t be positive.

“Now?” He asks, the terror fading in favor of something warm and just a bit overwhelming.

Loki lowers his finger, tilting his head. His cheeks are a very light shade of pink. It eases some of the tension in Steve’s chest. “When did you have in mind?”

Steve swallows, and finds a smile tugging at his lips. “Now is good. Now is great.”

Loki’s own lips curl into a familiar smirk, and he turns, plucking the bow of the apron apart. “Give me five minutes, darling.”

Steve presses a hand to his mouth when his smile threatens to break clean off his face, it’s so wide, and he chuckles to himself, shaking his head.

Sometimes he really can be an idiot.


End file.
